Chapter 99
Genga!
Chapter 99 (Geng Ga! - I have returned in triumph!)
Dragon City.
As the political center of the Eastern Alliance, although it covers a vast area, the buildings are not crowded, and Pokémon can often be seen moving around in it.
Arrived at our destination—Longcheng Research Institute.
Bai Zhou loosened the Gengar, whose color had faded somewhat from the strong winds at high altitude, and stepped off the aerial taxi while tidying his wind-blown hair.
Aside from the barely adequate wind protection, it's practically perfect—or so it seems.
"Remember to activate the energy barrier for the guests next time."
Bai Zhou rubbed his numb cheeks and offered sincere advice to the Flying Dragon in front of him.
"Not every customer is as resilient and durable as us."
"Okay—(Got it!)"
The Flying Dragon nodded perfunctorily, its thick claws impatiently tapping the price list, card reader, and huge QR code strapped to its arm in turn.
The meaning couldn't be clearer: Check out!
Bai Zhou glanced at the price list and his lips twitched violently.
It's so dark!
After paying, I watched as the Salamander skillfully swiped its claws across the phone to accept another order, then flapped its wings and soared away.
Bai Zhou then followed Professor Oak through the gates of the research institute.
However, what awaited them was not peace.
"Professor Oak! It really is Professor Oak!"
"Doctor! Regarding the newly discovered fossils—"
"Doctor! Please take a look at this data!"
Almost instantly, Bai Zhou was pushed aside by a torrent of researchers and could only watch helplessly as Professor Oak disappeared into the depths of the corridor.
Bai Zhou lowered his head and looked at his only surviving companion beside him.
"Gengar, it looks like the professor won't be able to get away for a while. We'll have to figure out our own lunch."
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed that Gengar had changed its appearance.
He wore a mini detective hat askew on his head, his eyes were tilted up and down, and he was half-open-mouthed, seriously holding a wooden pipe in his mouth.
It nodded solemnly, as if to say, "There's only one truth."
"Gengar, Gengar! (I, the great detective Gengar, have already deduced the answer from the smallest clues!)"
"Give my things back right now!"
White Boat's hand blade landed with perfect precision on Gengar's head, producing a muffled "thud".
"It hurts!"
After dealing with the famous detective, Bai Zhou, sporting a smudged Gengar and a miniature Rayquaza around his neck, began searching for a battlefield to settle his lunch.
He brushed past a row of swaying babbling lilies, and rounded a coconut palm that blended perfectly into the street-side greenery, when the name of a restaurant instantly caught his eye—
Fat Giant vs. Restaurant!
Be careful, the Dragonite Protection Organization might sue you, boss!
Thinking this, Bai Zhou still pushed open the glass door of the restaurant that had a sign that read "Battle in Progress".
As soon as I entered, a vibrant young voice pierced through the restaurant's noise.
"Pikachu! Now, one hundred thousand volts!"
On the central battle stage of the restaurant, a nimble yellow electric mouse is dodging and weaving.
And the one who commanded it was a young man wearing a classic red and white baseball cap, radiating youthful vigor!
Bai Zhou suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Why does that voice sound so familiar?!
With a zigzag motion, he successfully moved to the front of the crowd, and his eyes widened instantly when he saw the person directing the battle from the platform.
Little A, classmate.
"Little A's Assistant reminds you: I'm here."
Let me confirm first, you don't seem to have any crisis resolution tasks to assign me, right?
"Little Assistant reminds you that the issuance of system tasks depends entirely on the contractor's own inner desires; there is no such thing as issuing tasks without cause."
?
It depends on me? Do you want to look at what you're saying?
Do I want to solve this damn Rainbow Rocket crisis? Am I that kind of person?
Bai Zhou stared with dead fish eyes, silently shielding everyone in front of him, and found a secluded spot to sit down and order food.
"Gengar, what do you want to eat? —"
Bai Zhou glanced at the menu briefly, then habitually handed it to Yingzi.
However, his outstretched hand remained suspended in mid-air for several seconds, but the shadow did not move.
"Gengar?"
Bai Zhou lowered his head in confusion, looking at his feet.
At that moment, an even stronger wave of exclamations erupted from the direction of the battle arena!
"Oh my god! Whose Gengar is this?!"
"It actually defeated Pikachu, who had just achieved a ten-game winning streak, without any guidance!"
"Could this be a wild Gengar?!"
"No! It has a trainer! Look at its full physique, its trainer is definitely a master-level breeder!"
On the battle stage.
Gengar stood with its hands on its hips, looking at Pikachu with its round eyes, and let out a loud, cackling laugh.
Immediately afterwards, it swayed and merged into the shadow, instantly emerging from the shadow behind Ash!
Before Xiao Zhi's astonished eyes, it stretched out its chubby paw and snatched the red and white baseball cap from his head!
"Oh! My hat!"
Amidst the gasps of the crowd and the automatic parting of the passageway, Gengar, wearing its "trophy" baseball cap, strode with an air of nonchalance toward the handsome man in Chinese-style clothing in the corner, who was looking down and searching for something.
"Hee-ga! (I have returned in triumph!)"
Bai Zhou looked up and saw a Gengar wearing a baseball cap and sporting a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile.
"Gengar! Where did you run off to? I was worried sick for so long!"
As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed Gengar's incredibly round cheek, then began to pull it wildly.
"Feed! Feed the quack! (Battle! Free lunch!)"
Gengar, his face being pulled, hurriedly explained incoherently.
"What? You're saying you wanted to dine and dash, so you went to fight in a boxing ring?!"
Bai Zhou loosened his grip a little, but his brows furrowed even more.
He lifted Gengar's chubby body in his hands and examined it carefully from head to toe, making sure that not a single hair was missing.
Not entirely reassured, I even used my super-counter power to carefully sense Gengar's condition, confirming that it was truly just having fun and was completely unharmed.
"Gengar".
Bai Zhou's expression turned serious as he watched Gengar silently suppress its smile, its two short little hands placed awkwardly in front of it, and its eyes darting away.
In the end, he softened, sighed helplessly, and rubbed its head.
"From now on, without me around, you're not allowed to act like this, understand?"
"Eye-ga—"
Gengar looked aggrieved.
"I'm not preventing you from fighting."
Bai Zhou's tone softened, tinged with a barely perceptible worry.
"Before the next match, at least let me know, even if I don't need to give instructions—I just don't want you to get injured somewhere I don't know about."
Gengar immediately nodded frantically like a rattle-drum to guarantee it, then grinned with its signature big mouth and solemnly took off its baseball cap, handing it to Bai Zhou as if presenting a treasure.
"Eye loot!"
"Spoils of war?"
Bai Zhou took the hat with a puzzled look and examined it carefully.
The red and white color scheme and classic retro design are just like the original.
His expression froze instantly.